State information service sues magazine over princess photographs

The state information service RVD is taking legal action against magazine Nieuwe Revu for publishing unauthorised photographs of nine-year-old princess Amalia.

The photographs, including one of the girl playing hockey, represent ‘an unacceptable invasion’ of the princess’s privacy, the RVD said.

Nieuwe Revu said on Wednesday morning it would stop complying with an agreement drawn up between the media on protecting the privacy of the Dutch royal family.

Normal life

The media code was established in 2005 to enable the young princesses to have as normal a life as possible but also extends to other members of the family.

In the code, journalists agreed not to take photographs of the royal family outside official engagements. In return, the family agreed to pose for photographs at twice-yearly sessions; once in the summer and once at the start of their skiing holiday.

Nieuwe Revu says the code does not fit in with a modern democracy. This week it has nine-year-old princess Amalia on the cover with the title ‘Amalia’s secrets’. Inside are three photographs of the girl.

Gossip

Gossip magazines Privé and Story are also fed up with the media code, Nieuwe Revu reports.

It is something the Oranjes have to learn to live with, Story editor Matthieu Slee said. ‘Otherwise you have to give up your privileges. Willem-Alexander gets over €825,000 a year and can stop whenever he likes. Can you not give up some of your privacy for that money?’

However, royalty reporter Antoin Peeters said in a column the magazine has gone too far. ‘The magazine is trying to question the media code over the back of a nine-year-old girl and I think that is pretty shocking,’ he said.

‘If you want to do this, take a “banned” photo of an adult, like Máxima in a swimming costume,’ he said.

In 2009, the RVD took legal action against the American press agency AP for distributing photos of crown prince Willem-Alexander and his family.